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Jill dodged the fist, kicking the top of her attacker’s knee and pulling a pained howl from him. In a flash she grappled the man, twisting his wrist and stepping to the side, giving herself space to leverage her body against his, flipping the man head over heels and crashing him onto the ground. Jill tried to plunge her dagger into his chest, but the man was too quick and flipped her over his head, the contact on her back making her lose her knife.
The man scrambled after her, but she was able to wrap a leg around his neck, grabbing his flailing arm and twisting it into a position he could not reach his throat. With her other leg she pinned his other arm, and contorting them both, she squeezed around his neck with her thigh as hard as she could, pulling a gargling strangled noise from her attacker.
Across the room, a pair of brown eyes was on them.
Jill saw Lara, paused mid-fight staring at the two of them.
She looked scared. No–not scared.
Her eyes went from the pinned man to Jill’s arms and then up, locking eyes with Jill. Lara’s chest rose and fell quickly. Likely from the fight, surely, Jill thought.
Jill gripped her own wrist with her other arm, giving up trying to reach the lost. She yanked her wrist up, completely cutting off her attacker’s air.
Lara licked her lips.
A soldier rushed the Englishwoman and she dodged, blinking in surprise at the movement. As if she had forgotten she was in a fight. She shook her head almost in annoyance, and drew her gun, firing a shot that stopped the soldier dead in his tracks. He fell to the ground in a heap and Lara returned her focus to Jill.
The last air escaped Jill's foe and she felt him slacken in her arms.
Then she released him, shoving his body off of her and rising to her feet. The exertion left her a bit weary, but the strange look on Lara’s face had her full attention.
“You okay?” Jill asked.
“Me?” Lara replied, “Oh, yes. I’d say your fighting left me a bit breathless, but given the circumstances, perhaps that’s a bit crass.”
“Keep it in your pants, Croft,” Jill snorted.
“It’s simply professional admiration,” Lara reassured, “May I ask, do you exclusively fight men … or women also?”
Jill huffed a laugh at the woman’s audacity, “ Professional ?”
“Always.”
Jill’s eyes narrowed but her smile didn’t waver, “I’ve been known to… fight some women in my time.”
“How very lucky for them.”
“I’m not so sure they enjoyed it,” Jill snorted.
“Oh,” Lara teased, “I very much doubt that. You’re quite the catch.”
Jill let out a boisterous laugh, shaking her head a little, “I don’t know…got a lot of baggage. You seem like you travel light.”
“I just know how to pack,” Lara smiled.
Despite a warning in the back of Jill’s mind, she let her eyes wander down below Lara’s belt, “Do you now?”
Lara’s smile lingered but she bit her lip, seeming to decide her next words, and Jill wondered if she had taken a step too far.
She was about to excuse the words and herself for getting carried away when Lara took a step closer, cutting down on the space between them. Jill’s breathing hitched and Lara looked down at Jill’s lips before their eyes met again. Without much warning, but also without fanfare, Lara leaned in and kissed Jill.
It was warm and soft, much more tender than Jill expected given the clear arousal Lara was projecting. And then it was over.
“I was right,” Lara said softly before stepping back.
“About?”
“Settling a professional curiosity.”
“And that is ?” Jill pressed.
Lara smiled and turned back, walking back over to collect a gun from a downed soldier, “If you tasted as sweet as you look.”
Jill laughed nervously, surprised to find herself reddening a little.
Lara beamed an endearing smile, which made Jill feel even more under the heat of Lara’s gaze.
“C’mon,” Lara began, heading down the hall, “You can fuck me later.”
Jill puffed out an incredulous laugh, “Awfully bold of you after one kiss.”
“Do you not want to?” Lara asked, turning back. She didn’t seem worried.
“I,” Jill huffed, “I didn’t say that.”
Lara quirked a brow, “You know me at this point. I go for what I want.”
“I see that,” Jill agreed, “Not very shameless are you?”
“Why bother being coy when the best things in life have to be pursued?”
“I’m not running,” Jill said softly, surprising herself with how vulnerable it sounded.
Lara smiled, “No,” she agreed, “You’re not.”
She looked back down the hall then nodded over her shoulder, “C’mon. This way.”
Jill walked over to her discarded knife and resheathed it, catching back up with Lara.